Protestor Sprung

a.j. withers can walk to the cor-ner store again without being arrested.The OCAP member, who had been under house arrest since June 28 for her alleged participation in the raucous June 12 demonstration at Tory MPP Jim Flaherty's Whitby constituency office, had her freedom restored on August 7.

In a deal worked out with the Durham Crown attorney's office, Withers's bail conditions were revised to state merely that she must reside at the address of her surety and attend no public demonstrations until her trial date, which has yet to be set.

"I'm really happy," says Withers. "It's pretty nice to have my freedom. It's been a long haul. I'm looking forward to putting my life together again."

Defence lawyer Tamara Duncan says the Crown initially offered to lift Withers's house arrest in exchange for her non-association with other OCAP members. Duncan says she bided her time, however, until fellow defence lawyer Peter Rosenthal succeeded in having similar non-association conditions struck down on July 30. She was then able to argue that, according to the principle of parity, the non-association condition shouldn't apply to Withers either.

Still under house arrest and awaiting a bail appeal is fellow protestor Sean Lee-Popham.